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The aid ordered by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai was dispatched from the International Humanitarian City on Tuesday.

Thousands of Rohingya continue to flee violent persecution in Myanmar. To date, more than 600,000 refugees have fled to Bangladesh with thousands more still in Myanmar.

Since the crisis began, UN agencies and NGOs have ramped up relief efforts, including food aid and an immunisation campaign that vaccinated more than 700,000 people against cholera.

The aid was airlifted from the International Humanitarian City in Dubai on Tuesday. Courtesy Dubai Media Office

In September, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid established an “air bridge” to ensure food and other relief items got through to the refugees. More than 350,000 Rohingya refugees have received aid supplies originating from Dubai’s International Humanitarian City so far.

More than 814 metric tons of UN, NGO and other international agencies’ aid has been delivered to Bangladesh from IHC at a cost of more than $2m (Dh7.3m).

Sheikh Mohammed sanctioned the use of his private Boeing 747 for the aid effort with additional C130s and Boeing 757s as needed.

On Tuesday, Princess Haya of Jordan, UN Messenger of Peace and Chairperson of the IHC, said “These refugees are facing an incredibly distressing time. The numbers keep rising and very quickly. As a result, many Rohingya families have little access to medicine, food, clean water, shelter, and clothing.

“We will continue to send as much help as we possibly can for these people and pray that the persecution they face will end soon and they can return to their normal lives.”

The UAE government pledged US$7 million for the Rohingya refugees at the Pledging Conference for Refugee Crisis on October 23.